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flick picks by Gal Balaban

Free Solo

Free Solo is a documentary that follows Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to free solo climb El Capitan — in other words, climbing up the rock without a harness or anything to protect him from the deadly consequences of falling.

I’m not a huge watcher of documentaries but I’m very glad I didn’t miss this one and was able to catch it in IMAX. Not only are the climbing sequences very impressive and the visual scale is worthy of a big screen watch, but the movie is able to pull you into the story on an emotional level that not many scripted films this year have reached. Alex Honnold is displayed as an inspiration to everyone who has an insane amount of passion and those who dream to one day set the bar higher. His love of his hobby and eventual profession really connected to someone like me who would also want to one day make a profession out of my love of films, in my case. But not only does Honnold teach us to believe in the impossible, but the movie also shows us a different side of things in a very powerful way, like the emotional toll the buildup to the climb takes on his friends, crew, and girlfriend, who must prepare for the possible outcome that he may not survive the climb. Ultimately, when the movie reaches its climax, your heart will be pounding as you watch the incredible final few minutes of the film that are boasted by reactions from the crew as they watch, as well as a strong score from Marco Beltrami, and even if you know how it will end, the journey there is a damn lovely one.

Free Solo is a must-watch documentary that deserved its win at the Oscars in every sense. It’s amazingly done and inspiring on both a technical and emotional level, and had me engaged for every minute of the film. The film and its subject remind us that there will always be people passionate and daring enough willing to break barriers and set the bar higher.